Launch @ Inc.: How To Stay Laser-Focused And At The Top Of Your Game

As an entrepreneur you need to learn how to smooth out the ride and manage your emotions in a way that balances your energy, drives your business forward, and puts you in the best position to succeed, no matter what life throws at you.

One of biggest challenges entrepreneurs face is the emotional roller coaster they ride every day when launching a business. You wake up in the morning, an investment comes through, and then you lose it. Suddenly the money is back. The product is working as planned, then it goes down, and now it’s back up. The highs and lows can be exhausting. They can quickly drive you in and out of emotional states that won’t help you run your business effectively, will strain your relationships, and can have a negative impact on your health.

But they don’t have to. If you want to develop a razor-like mindset, one that cuts through problems like a knife, here’s how:

Control Your Focus

When you hit a bump in the road, if your automatic response is to start asking questions like: Why does bad stuff always happen to me?—your focus will go right to these answers, which will make you feel terrible. It’s impossible to act in a way that is effective from that place.

Instead you must teach yourself to ask a better set of questions, ones that empower you and your business. Because having the right mindset immediately shifts your focus from each challenge to the opportunity it presents. Recognize that you are in complete control. Nothing in life has any meaning other than the meaning you give it. You have a choice in determining how you evaluate any situation and where you place your focus.

Get Moving

A way to control your focus and how you behave is to change the way you move. Think about what people look like when they’ve had a hard day. Their eyes are cast down, shoulders slumped and breath is low and shallow. If you lift your gaze, bring your shoulders back and breathe deeply, you can get yourself out of that emotional state. So, if you are down and having a tough day, go out and move. Get your blood flowing. When you feel stuck in your business, get out of your chair and take a walk outside. Movement will instantly change the way you feel and put you in a better position to take on the day.

Break Your Patterns

The odds that are you have been running on autopilot most of your life, allowing your emotional state to dictate your inner dialogue. Next time you run into a problem or something threatens to knock you off course,stop! Pay attention to the questions you are asking to evaluate the situation, and if they are negative, interrupt your pattern with a new set of empowering questions. This will help you look at the situation in a whole new light. With enough practice, this powerful way of thinking will become automatic.

Launching your business will be stressful and arduous. The decision is up to you. Are you ready to take control of your life? Are you ready to get off the roller coaster? If the answer is yes, then just do one thing—ask a better question—and focus squarely on the opportunity in everything that life presents.